A FAMOUS BANQUET.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1177, 12 July 1911, Page 8

A FAMOUS BANQUET.

THE MINISTER AND THE MAYOR,

ANOTHER EXPLANATION.

Aii extremely interesting echo of the farewell banquet in Wellington to Sir Joseph Ward and Dr. Findlay comes from London in the shape of a statement by Lady Stout.

It will bo remembered that Ihe date of the banquet had been fixed, and it had been arranged that the Mayor, naturally, was to preside. Dr. Findlay, some time after arrangements had been, under way, suddenly announced Iliat he could not attend, having a. prior engagement in Auckland on that date. This caused .1 good deal of talk, and it became known that Mr Wilford had taken up a hostile attitude. It was fretfy rumoured, also, that Dr. Findlay. had been advised by somebody that ho was not wanted. One day the banquet idea had practically been abandoned, but the day was saved by a successful application to tho Chief Justice to preside. Mr. Wilford absented himself from the banquet.

On May 17 Mr. Labouchere's paper "Truth" referred to Dr. Findlay and tho banquet incident in tho course Of an article on the Mokau case. It said: "Dr. Findlay personally docs not appear to possess the unbounded confidence of his fellow countrymen. He is the one member of Sir Joseph Ward's Ministry who has been unable to find a feat as an elected member Cor Parliament, and he sits as a nominated member iu the Legislative Council. As mentioned in 'Truth' the other day, when a public banquet was given to the Premier at Wellington on the eve of his departure for Enplane?, tho Mayor of that city, an ex-member of the Legislature, objected to the presence of Dr. Findlay, who had to absent himself." Iu its next issue (May 24) "Truth" said, in another article on the Mokau case: "I have- received from Lady Stout a letter correcting me as to what happened in connection with the farewell bantjoeK to the Premier and Dr. Findlay before they left New Zealand. • Lady Stout states that it was Dr. Findlay who refused to attend the banquet if tho Mayor of Wellington (who is a member, not an cxmember, of Parliament) was to take the chair, not the Mayor who refused to attend if Dr. Findlay was present, and that the difficulty was got over by the Chief Justice presiding." . Whether Lady Stout. named her authority in her letter to "Truth" is not stated.